She did her first half marathon in Nagoya this year, now fitness enthusiast and business owner Shannon Wong is ready to take on her first full marathon with New Balance
The TCS New York City Marathon, held annually on the first Sunday of November, is one of the largest and most prestigious marathons in the world and part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors.
It offers a 42.195km or 26.2-mile long course with electrifying crowds, taking runners through all five boroughs of New York City: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan finishing at Central Park.
Meet the six runners from Singapore who will be taking on the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon with New Balance in this five-part series with Sportplus.sg.
A business owner and content creator, Shannon Wong is a fitness enthusiast who regularly shares her workout routines such as HIIT, strength training, and yoga with her avid online following.
2024 saw Shannon pick up running more seriously, and having completed her first half marathon in the Nagoya City Marathon, she continues to push herself in the sport and is now looking to take on her first full marathon in the TCS New York City Marathon.
1. Share with us what do you do for a living?
Shannon: I am a business owner of a global interior design firm, where all our work is digital - we don't usually need to physically meet clients, but I'll be traveling to meet my business partner in Sydney and then a client in New York in the weeks leading up to the NYC marathon! Our clients are mainly from the US and middle east.
Outside of that, I am a content creator - a gym junkie and fitness enthusiast who only just started to get into running.
2. Name an iconic location that most represents you and your personality when you do your runs
Shannon: Marina Bay area, Art Science Museum and Gardens by the Bay
3. What are your personal goals for embarking on this journey to NYC Marathon 2024?
Shannon: Enjoying the marathon and completing are my main goals - I did a half earlier this year in Nagoya, but a Full Marathon is a totally different ball game and I haven't been training as much as I would love to due to work, so any time goal is a bonus.
4. What has been your biggest challenge when training for NYC Marathon?
Shannon: Juggling between work, content creation, social life and training. My schedule is literally back-to-back and I don't even have time for myself at times, so not having the predictability or routine makes marathon training difficult.
5. Could you share with us a regular run route of yours for Marathon training?
Shannon: My most regular route in Singapore would be Marina Bay Sands - Helix Bridge - Marina Barrage - Tanjong Rhu - East Coast Park and back.
6. Who do you usually train with (if any)? Any individual / community?
Shannon: My friend Juhi trains with me, she is another content creator who usually works with luxury brands.
7. Share your journey into running with us, were they any major influences?
Shannon: I am usually more of a gym junkie and never planned on running, but when this opportunity with New Balance came, it was a way for me to step out of my comfort zone. I loved the Nagoya experience earlier this year with a half marathon, so I decided to take the next step and haven't looked back since.
8. Is New York City Marathon your first full marathon?
Shannon: Yes it is!
9. What made you sign-up for NYC Marathon with New Balance?
Shannon: A full marathon was never on the cards this year - the plan after Nagoya was to come back to gymming and MMA and maybe train for hyrox, but when NB came knocking on the door - I am someone who doesn't say no to opportiunities- most of the time I will say yes - cos I like to push myself out of my comfort zone.
I am not a runner per se, running under 2 hours was a bonus in Nagoya, I don't enjoy the runners' high as most runners do, but NB has pushed me to go out of my comfort zone and since then I have started to enjoy running a bit more. I know a full marathon is very different from a half, a lot more mental plus physical.
10. What does Run Your Way mean to you personally?
Shannon: To run without expectations, to run with an open mind and chase new experiences.
11. What's your running philosophy / attitude towards running?
Shannon: Running for me is a love-hate relationship to be honest, its being tough and the mental strength you need to have to complete it and the love that comes with it when you finish, and accomplish something that you never thought you could.
My running philosophy is similar to New Balance's - which is to just enjoy the run and to not push myself and have too much expectations to the point that I drain myself out much earlier instead of taking in every moment.
12. What are your personal goals and what are you looking to accomplish in NYC Marathon 2024?
Shannon: My personal goal to genuinely enjoy the run, I don't have to run a specific timing - it would ruin running for me - and ruin the beauty for me, and in a new country and doing a marathon. I want to take it all in, not a running time goal - even if I can't i won't beat myself up for it.
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